


Iago's Revenge

by OfCabbagesandKings10647



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Additional Characters to be added, Blood and Injury, Crack Treated Seriously, F/M, Lots of Sex, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Porn With Plot, This story is sorta anti-Charlotte, additional relationships to be added - Freeform, but according to my planning doc only in the first chapter, characters added as they become prominent, irl science applied to fiction, relationships added as they become prominent, this story is DEFINITELY anti-Subaki/Selena
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:54:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29392293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OfCabbagesandKings10647/pseuds/OfCabbagesandKings10647
Summary: Just a silly idea I had that started from my desire to get better at writing smut.Before he succumbed to death from a wound inflicted by Corrin, Iago used the last of his strength to cast a sinister spell on her, but he really should have paid more attention to the intended use. As the mysterious hex works its way through the ranks of Corrin's army, a task force of all the army's mages and healers is assembled to figure out a cure. But the hex is extremely old and dark and is an assemblage of many different parts, confusing the task force on the workings of the spell. As they struggle to figure out the nature of the strange magic, members of the task force begin to show signs of the spell manifesting in them, and soon the only ones left who might have even the slightest chance of figuring out the cause are dark mages Nyx and Odin... but Odin only actually knows enough about magic to use spellbooks. Thankfully, Odin has a close friend in the army who is intimately familiar with the workings of dark magic.As base urges surface, will the task force be able to figure out what is going on in time, or will the army succumb to debauchery? (Given the main purpose of the story, what do you think?)
Relationships: Aqua | Azura/Lazward | Laslow, Camilla/Silas (Fire Emblem), Charlotte/Saizo (Fire Emblem), Elise/Odin (Fire Emblem), Felicia/Tsubaki | Subaki, Fuga/Tsubaki | Subaki, Fuga/Tsubaki | Subaki/Felicia, Gunter/My Unit | Kamui | Corrin, Harold | Arthur/Luna | Selena, Henry/Tiamo | Cordelia (mentioned/implied), Joker | Jakob/Nyx, Kagero/Ryoma (Fire Emblem), Leon | Leo/Sakura, Marx | Xander/Mozume | Mozu
Kudos: 5





	1. The Hex Is Cast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! So I am breaking a promise to myself, which was “Do not start another story while you have one that hasn’t been finished yet.”.... But in my defense, I thought this was really funny and really wanted to write it. 
> 
> Basically this is what I would call “crackfic taken seriously”, because the premise of the story is basically “Corrin kills Iago, and in his dying breath sets a hex on her thinking that the hex will do one thing, but it actually does something slightly different. And then sex happens.” But the actual story bits I plan on writing 100% seriously, so that without the silly sex stuff this could be seen as a legitimate story (though I will also try and write the sex stuff in a manner that is actually “sexy”, and not in a joking or exaggerated way). 
> 
> This fic is also an experiment/practice for me. I am not completely comfortable writing sex scenes. I want to get better at writing them though. So that is the reason for the sex stuff in the story. As an added challenge, there’s some kink stuff planned for certain parts (I don’t plan on getting extreme with it, so don’t worry too much), so that will be an interesting challenge.
> 
> I am also excited for this story, because the plan is the characters in charge of investigating the hex will talk about how the hex spreads and affects people and such, as well as the physiological changes the hex has on the body to enable it to do what it’s intended to do. As someone who is interested in biology, I am really excited to write these parts.
> 
> Briefly, this story starts at the end of chapter 17 of the Revelations Route, and Iago’s opening line is straight from the game.
> 
> Enough talk, let’s get this show on the road.

* * *

“This...this can't be happening... My plan...was perfect... I... King Garon... H-help...me...”

Iago coughed, blood spewing from his lips as he desperately tried to cling to consciousness. He couldn’t be dying. Not here. Not at the hand of that traitor Princess Corrin. 

Iago weakly pressed a hand against the long, gaping cut through his chest, his blood spilling from the wound as his vision went in and out of focus. So this was it. This was how the life of Iago, the most trusted advisor to King Garon ended. A feeling of bitterness ran through Iago’s remaining consciousness, just as the lines of what was in front of him and what was in his mind started blurring. Memories of his life flew past Iago as he felt himself slipping away until one memory in particular came to the forefront and played itself out.

_ Iago was a fresh face to Castle Krakenburg, a new apprentice working under the High Mage. He and another apprentice were searching for a specific magical tome in the extensive library of the castle. Their master was not a patient man, and Iago and the other apprentice were frantically searching for the item they were told to fetch, keenly aware of the punishment that would be dealt to them if they took too long, or worse yet failed to find the book. Iago was scanning the spines of the books on one of the many shelves when the other apprentice called him over. _

_ “Did you find it?” Iago asked, seeing that his companion was holding a book. _

_ The other shook his head with a grin on his face, and Iago was about to thoroughly curse out the other fledgling mage when he pointed out the title,  _ **_Antiquorum Sexus Ritualis_ ** _. Despite feeling the threat of punishment hanging heavy over their heads, being in his early teenage years the title of the book immediately captured Iago’s curiosity.  _

_ “Ancient Sex Rituals? What is this nonsense?” _

_ “Let’s just take a quick peek Iago, surely you are intrigued as well.”  _

_ Not waiting for a response, the other boy opened the book carefully. The book was very old and seemed like it would crumble to dust should it be handled too roughly. Flipping to the first entry, the two boys skimmed the page for the most important bits. _

_ “ _ **_Intended for procreation, this spell will take hold of the target and any connected other, causing such bodily changes that encourage the target and their partner to seek each other out and join as one. This spell works slowly and steadily at first, but as time wears on and the spell takes hold, the effects will show suddenly and with great intensity. Use with caution, as this spell has a tendency to latch on to others. See endnotes of this entry for information on such cases.”_ **

_ Both of the boys were shaking with laughter, trying to stay as quiet as possible. The base of the spell itself was quite simple, but the book showed various alterations to the spell that affected how the spell behaved.  _

_ Iago’s eyes flicked between the variations until he landed on one variation in particular. This entry seemed to have been scratched into the page with a poor quality quill nib, the lines left behind uneven and broken.  _

_ Though the page itself was full of writing and different colored inks, this entry in particular jumped out of the page, its messy script and bright shade of red commanding the attention of any whose gaze fell upon it. There were only a few lines of text underneath the variation, a brief explanation of its altered effects which seemed to not be a full explanation, but rather references to different parts of all the other variations on the page. Iago was only just able to read the incantation of this added in entry before the voice of his master echoed through the library. Startling, the boys quickly closed the book and returned it to its place, falling into place beside their master and relieved that it seemed the tome they had been searching for had been with their master the whole time. By the time they had all crossed the threshold of the library, the strange book the boys had found had been forgotten. _

The rage that was still simmering in Iago suddenly roared to life, and Iago’s eyes snapped open, the words of the long-forgotten spell suddenly clear as day in his mind’s eye, its effects somehow revealed to him as his heartbeat grew weaker. Iago’s eyes focused on Corrin’s back, and with the last remaining bit of life force he had, Iago sent the spell at her.

A sinister satisfaction filled Iago as in his last breaths he felt the spell take hold of its target.

_ “I may not have been able to break you while I was alive Lady Corrin, but I assure you, by the time this spell has run its course, you and your little army of traitors will  _ **_beg_ ** _ for the sweet release of death.” _

As Iago’s heart finally stopped and his last breath left him, the hex that had been placed on Corrin began to work its wicked magic, preparing to rain devastation upon the unsuspecting army.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooo, chapter one is done! Are you interested? I hope so, I am excited, albeit nervous as hell to write this out. I can’t promise any concrete timeline of when chapters will come out since I have a lot of stuff going on and I really want to finish my other story, but I will try to post chapters within a week and a half to two weeks apart. Honestly, the non-sex chapters will come faster, but I will try to stay within my proposed publication timeline for the sex chapters.


	2. [G&C] Something's Changed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a note, I’m aging Gunter down a bit (a lot). He’s like late 40’s early 50’s or something. I also realize pairing Corrin with Gunter can have some groomer implications, but I promise that is not my intent at all. 
> 
> Also, I’m loosely following Gunter’s Revelations story, but in the end his story takes a different turn than how it ends in-game.
> 
> I’m also trying something different (for me) with the chapter names. Originally I was going to not name the non-sex chapters, but then I thought it might look weird if it’s something like Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc, Chapter 10: Gunter/F!Corrin. So I’ll be giving actual titles to each non-sex chapter with the first letter of the pair in focus in brackets, and the sex ones will be written as I did with the above example.

* * *

Corrin slowly made her way through the army’s base in the Deeprealm that Lilith provided for them, trying to clear her head. Every time the army had to leave the safety of the base to confront more of Anankos’ forces, Corrin’s heart filled with more anxiety. She knew what she had to do, destroy Anankos and bring peace to Nohr, Hoshido, and Valla, but despite this she found herself doubting her own abilities. Would she really be able to bring peace to the three nations? Would she be able to safely lead her troops to victory? She supposed she had to have faith, after all the Yato chose _her_ as its wielder, and each person in the army chose to follow _her_.

She was grateful that everyone trusted her so, her heart filling with determination and hope as she saw how diligently everyone worked towards the same goal despite originally being at war with each other. She really would’ve been lost if she didn’t have her siblings and friends at her side, taking comfort in their words of trust and encouragement. 

Though she knew it was pointless to wonder about such things, Corrin found her mind drifting to other outcomes her life could have taken, specifically if she had no one to turn to while she grew up in the Northern Fortress.

Jakob. Silas. Felicia. Flora. Without them she would have probably wasted away, becoming a despondent husk from the lack of human interaction. Corrin smiled to herself as she felt a wave of gratitude wash over her, forever thankful that she had been blessed with such good friends growing up.

Of course, there was one other who was there during her captivity, and Corrin’s thoughts drifted to her ever-present, ever-faithful knight Gunter. 

He had been a solid, constant presence in her life, a presence she had admittedly taken for granted, so sure of his strength and dedication that she never imagined what it would mean to lose him.

Of course, courtesy of Hans, Corrin learned exactly that, recalling the horror and despair she felt as she watched Gunter’s body fall and disappear into the void of the Bottomless Canyon.

Though she didn’t allow herself to spend much time on the feelings at the time with everything happening so quickly, there were moments where she would instinctively think to ask Gunter his opinion, or she would turn to address him, only to remember he was no longer with her. 

In those moments the pain and grief would very nearly overwhelm Corrin. She lost her pillar of stability, her ever-present guardian, her most trusted confidant. Though she had hid her pain from the others well, there was a hole in her heart that would come back into focus at the most inopportune of times.

But then she had found Gunter the first time she was in Valla. For a while after they were reunited, her eyes kept finding themselves focused on her retainer, not quite believing he was really alive and well. She was admittedly afraid that if he was out of sight for too long he would vanish, but he was indeed at her side again.

Once they had returned to their world, Corrin made sure to express her appreciation for Gunter more, intent on making sure that he knew how much he meant to her.

Though as strict and stern as ever, Corrin’s frequent expressions of gratitude seemed to be having a positive effect, as Gunter now smiled more, at least for her.

While she was glad that he seemed to appreciate her sentiments, she was also a bit frustrated with herself. Growing up she had harbored a crush on Gunter, feelings that would have been shamed should she have told anyone. Though she had been young, she knew if someone found out her feelings would be rationalized as confusion, that really her affection was that which a child would have for a parent. Though Corrin was young and naive, she knew that it was not that, but eventually she realized how inappropriate her feelings were, and pushed them down and locked them away.

But now it seemed those feelings were making themselves known again. Every time Gunter would smile at her, she would feel butterflies in her stomach and time would seem to slow down a bit, her consciousness blocking out everything else except Gunter in those moments.

If she was completely honest with herself, it was a bit embarrassing that she seemed to be unable to control her emotions this time around, which seemingly got stronger with each interaction she had with the knight.

But lately, something had changed. Along with the usual butterflies in her stomach, there was a strange feeling of heat pooling below her belly when Gunter smiled. While his words of praise during combat training had always made her happy, recently she noticed her breath catching in her throat at his words. On the rare occasion that his bare hand made contact with her, there was a feeling akin to fire that would travel from the point of contact to a spot between her legs, and on days of extended interaction with him, her knickers would feel damp.

She wasn’t sure what was happening, but she needed to talk to someone about it, though in the vaguest of terms so as not to reveal the person who caused it.

Spotting Camilla, Corrin realized that her sister would be happy to talk to her about this, and quickly made her way over to her.

“Oh, Corrin, there you are my sweet, sweet girl. Is there something I can do for you? Rub your back? Read you a story?”

“Ah, no that’s quite alright,” Corrin said, wincing slightly at her sister’s overly affectionate manner. “I was wondering actually if we could talk about something? In private?”

Camilla tilted her head to the side slightly, a hint of curiosity gracing her features. “Of course my dear, lead the way.”

With that, Corrin began to lead Camilla to her room, thinking of how exactly to start this conversation.

Reaching her room Corrin let Camilla in and took a seat next to her older sister on the edge of the bed in the room.

“Now what is it you wanted to tell your big sister?”

“Um, well... you see I was wondering... that is to say...” 

Camilla smiled at Corrin’s verbal stumblings. “What’s the matter, kitty cat got your tongue?”

“I’ve been feeling weird lately.” Corrin finally blurted out. Camilla’s eyes widened, a hand coming to Corrin’s forehead. “Oh, Corrin darling, why haven’t you gone to a healer? Come, let’s get you checked out.”

“N-no, not that kind of weird,” Corrin stuttered, getting flustered in her inability to properly convey what she meant. “What I mean is I feel weird emotionally.”

“Oh?”

“Um, you see, lately there’s a certain someone that I held affection for in the past, but the feelings seem to be... changing?”

Camilla was suddenly absorbed in what Corrin was saying, an intense focus now centered on her. “What do you mean by ‘changing’ Corrin?”

“Well you see, um, I still feel the butterflies in my stomach and things like that, but lately there’s also this... heat, I guess. It feels like there’s a fire being stoked just below my stomach, and I’m not sure why, but my underwear seems to be sort of wet when I am in his company for long.”

Camilla’s eyebrows were raised, her mouth parted slightly as she processed the implications of what Corrin was saying. Suddenly squealing in delight, Camilla threw her arms around Corrin, pulling her into a tight hug.

“Oh Corrin honey, I know what you’re talking about. There’s no need to worry. I’m so happy you came to me with this, oh my girl is growing up!”

“Er, Camilla, what is it? What is going on with me?” Corrin asked as Camilla released her.

“Corrin,” Camilla started, taking her sister’s face in her hands, “What you are describing are grown-up feelings a person has for someone they like and want to be with. Oh, this is so exciting, who is it that has caused this change in you?”

“A-ah, well I’d rather not say. But what do you mean ‘grown-up feelings’? I don’t understand.”

Chuckling, Camilla released Corrin’s face and stood from the bed. “Well... I’ll tell you what. Elise and I have some books that can shed some light on what I mean. I’m sure other women in the army must have some as well. Don’t you worry Corrin, just give me two days and I’ll have all the information you need to know.”

Before Corrin could get out another word, Camilla had made her way out the door of Corrin’s room, closing it gently behind her. Corrin stared after her sister, startling slightly when she heard Camilla squeal again, and Corrin heard her sister laughing as she went off to find the books that were promised. 

Thoroughly confused, Corrin fell back on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. 

_“Well, at least I know this isn’t something to be alarmed about... I think.”_ Corrin thought. 

Though she was unsure of what Camilla meant, Corrin trusted Camilla to return in two days as she had said, wondering what kind of information these books would hold.


	3. [X&M] For the Sake of Peace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll eventually explain how the hex works in the task force chapters, but just so you know, interactions between my intended pairs are supposed to start off kinda cutesy, so there is (supposed to be) a bit of a swing or I guess devolution into raunchy/dirty. With some, it happens faster than with others.
> 
> Also might as well mention it first here, ALL characters, regardless of what their implied ages may be in the game, ALL characters are AT LEAST 20 years old. That means characters like Elise or Sakura are not literal children. And Nyx will have the body of a young woman, we ain't doing that loli shit.

* * *

Prince Xander was sitting in the conference room of the army’s base of operations, assessing and organizing the week’s reports. He supposed it would be quicker and more productive if he did this at the same time Prince Ryoma did, but despite the truce they had called, he still had his reservations... though those feelings were quickly dying as he worked through the many papers.

There were reports on the training progress of each individual member of the army, there were health and status condition reports, there was battle debriefs and injury reports, morale reports, patrol and defense reports, and inventory reports just to name the contents of a few of the stacks.

Xander mused that the sheer number of papers would’ve been less and therefore more manageable if it was just one army’s worth of reports, but because Corrin’s group consisted of two armies from two different nations, the amount of paperwork was vast. Xander had started at around 3 in the afternoon, thinking that it would take no more than a few hours, but it had gotten late, the sun having dipped below the horizon already 2 hours ago.

_“Just one more report, and then I’ll go to dinner.”_

Had anyone who truly knew Xander heard his thought, they would have laughed aloud at the idea that Xander would only look at one more report, his workaholic tendencies usually rendering such promises of taking it easy void and null before he even uttered such a thing.

Sure enough, Xander once more got absorbed into the work, and the candles he lit on the table slowly but surely melted down to tiny stubs.

A knock at the door broke Xander from his work, and he called for the visitor to enter.

The door swung open, and Xander was greeted by Mozu, a tray of hot food in her hands.

“Lord Xander? Forgive the intrusion, but dinner has been cleaned up and I noticed you didn’t come, so ah’ve brought you somethin’ to eat.”

“Ah. I see, thank you Mozu.”

Xander beckoned for her to approach, frowning in embarrassment when his stomach rumbled from the savory aroma as it drifted into range.

Xander reached out to take the tray, but winced, a hand coming up to grip a shoulder.

“Milord?!”

“I’m fine Mozu, don’t worry,” Xander soothed, his hand rubbing out a knot that had formed.

Mozu frowned but said nothing, placing the tray down as Xander cleared a spot for it. 

“I’m alright, I promise Mozu,” Xander assured again, seeing the look of concern on her face.

“Milord,” Mozu said gently, her eyebrows creasing as she addressed him, “forgive me if ah’m speaking out of turn, but you need to take better care of yourself!”

“I appreciate your concern Mozu, but as the Crown Prince of Nohr, it is part of my duty to make sure that the army operates smoothly. That requires hard work to be put in to ensure this is possible... People are depending on me, and I must not disappoint.”

Rather than look reassured, Mozu’s look of concern deepened. “Permission to speak my mind, milord?” 

Xander paused, then nodded, allowing Mozu to continue. “That may be true, but if you fall ill from overworking, you won’t be able to fulfill your princely duties. Wouldn’t that just cause more trouble?”

Xander sat in silence for a moment, before responding. “I suppose you are right Mozu... I can’t promise that I’ll be able to work less, but I appreciate your concern and I’ll at least try to take better care of myself... And thank you for bringing me dinner.”

Mozu smiled, but then surprised Xander with her next sentence. “Of course milord, but if that’s the case and you truly appreciate the concern, then ah won’t leave until ah see you eat at least one thing.”

The corners of Xander’s mouth raised slightly, and nodded his acquiescence, picking up a piece of meat with the fork provided.

“This is... this is really good,” Xander remarked when he had swallowed the food, picking up another piece and putting it in his mouth, “who made this?”

“Ah made it milord, I was in charge of cookin' duty tonight, which is why ah noticed you didn’t come to dinner. ‘M glad you like it.”

“Well,” Mozu continued, “you’ve more than held up your end of the deal, so ah’ll take my leave. G’night milord, and don’t stay up too late.”

With that, Mozu bowed and left the room, leaving Xander to quickly finish the meal.

Xander reflected on what Mozu had said. It was true that if something should happen to him, the army would probably suffer because of it. Xander appreciated Mozu’s mindful words, resolving to at least try to keep his word to take care of himself.

Though he had only recently joined Corrin’s ranks, Xander had taken the opportunity to speak at least once with every member of the army. Xander remembered how flustered and timid Mozu had been with him at first, going so far as to call his face ‘scary’. He knew that he was intimidating, and apologized to her before taking his leave, but it wasn’t until a few days later when his retainer Laslow mentioned Mozu that he felt truly horrible.

As it turned out, Mozu was not a new Hoshidan army recruit by choice, but rather a peasant farm girl, only in the army by the grace of Corrin who had come across the immediate aftermath of her village being destroyed by Faceless. Xander found out that every single person save herself had been slain by the beasts, and everything and everyone she had ever loved was now gone, alone in the world and fighting in a war she shouldn’t have had to be involved in.

When the truth of her circumstances had been revealed to him, Xander suddenly understood why she seemed so sad all the time, and why she worked so hard to take care of everyone around her. The fact that he had added to her suffering even slightly bothered him, and from then on he tried much harder to be more friendly and welcoming with her.

His change in behavior seemed to have paid off, because Mozu no longer seemed quite as timid with him, going so far even as to make sure he was okay, as she had just done by bringing him dinner he would have otherwise missed out on.

Xander was struck by the amount of suffering the Nohr-Hoshido conflict had caused. If only they had been at peace, Mozu might still have her village and family, and she wouldn’t have to wonder about her fate once the war was over.

He would try harder to take better care of himself as he said he would, but as he thought about Mozu and all that she had suffered at the hands of war, Xander resolved that he would also do everything in his power to help destroy Anankos, and that he would work hard afterward to maintain peace for everyone.

For his family.

For his nation.

For Hoshido.

For Mozu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, actually I think I’ll give little hints and explanations in the author notes as to how the spell works, bit by bit until I bring it all together.
> 
> For Xander and Mozu, the spell will be working a bit slower, and the reason is because they have only just recently gotten to know each other. They don’t have years worth of trust and friendship for the spell to work off of, not like the pair in the next chapter.


	4. [R&K] Old Scars That Still Ache

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kagero may be a little out-of-character in regards to her feelings on her relationship with Saizo, just fyi.

* * *

As Prince Ryoma took his evening stroll through the army camp, he was struck with wonder at how the war, and subsequently his life, turned out.

He had been furious when Queen Mikoto was killed, and when the Nohrians showed up to retrieve Corrin, he assumed the worst of her. He was so blinded by rage that he didn’t consider her innocence at all when she refused to side with either kingdom. He was ready to wage war against Nohr and any other perceived threat to Hoshido, and he would cut down any who opposed him, even if it was his long-lost little sister.

But Corrin had remained strong and true to her ideals, and soon Ryoma found himself not only under her command, but calling a truce and working alongside the Nohrian Crown Prince.

Fate worked in mysterious ways, but Ryoma was glad that it had worked out the way it did. Though they did not interact much, Ryoma could tell that Prince Xander was just as dedicated to seeing their mission though as he was, and that assured Ryoma that this outcome was better than any other he could have hoped for.

Passing the equipment building, Ryoma came across his retainers, Saizo geared up as though prepared for combat.

“Saizo, Kagero, good evening.”

The two ninjas greeted their liege, bowing as he approached them.

“Are you preparing for patrol duties Saizo?”

“I am milord. I will have my report for you first thing in the morning.”

“Thank you Saizo,” Ryoma started, “But Lord Leo is the one to report to for patrol debriefs, shouldn’t you tell him?”

“Not to worry Lord Ryoma,” Saizo responded, “Lord Leo will get my report first, but I know you will look at it later, so I will save you the time and trouble.”

“I see, well thank you for your work Saizo, I am looking forward to it.”

Saizo bowed to Ryoma, and then with a nod to Kagero turned and left.

Ryoma was left standing with Kagero, the both of them watching as Saizo slipped into the shadows and disappeared.

“He worries me sometimes, Kagero.”

Kagero turned to face her liege, a look of questioning on her face. “Lord Ryoma?...”

“I appreciate his dedication and work ethic,” Ryoma started, looking to his retainer, “but I worry he is missing out on his own life.”

Kagero was silent for a second, her gaze flicking to the ground before returning to him, her face empty of expression as she responded. “Saizo is aware of the things that he’ll potentially miss out on, however he accepts this possibility willingly because it is an honor for him to serve you and the Hoshidan royal family, and he holds this honor above all else.”

Though someone unfamiliar with Kagero would hear nothing in her tone, Ryoma could detect a tinge of sadness there, and he remembered that Kagero and Saizo used to be a couple before they broke it off, in favor of serving him.

“You know what I think though?” Ryoma mused aloud, his face turning to the sky as Kagero’s attention focused on him, “Sometimes the greatest honor is gained through those things he’s missing out on. Family, friendship... love.”

Ryoma's gaze shifted back to Kagero’s face, a subtle look of surprise on her features.

“Lord Ryoma...” Kagero said quietly, her eyes again flicking away before returning to his gaze, “May I ask a question?”

“Of course Kagero, what is it?”

“Which do you value more, family or personal honor?”

Almost immediately after the question was posed, Ryoma responded. “Without a doubt, family is the most important of the two, at least for me.”

Kagero’s eyebrows shot up, her eyes widening slightly in clear surprise, and Ryoma was struck by curiosity at his retainer’s reaction.

“Why does my answer surprise you Kagero?”

“I-I mean no disrespect milord, forgive my reaction.”

“It’s fine Kagero, though I am interested in your honest response.”

“It’s just... as the future King of Hoshido, I would have assumed that your honor would be of most value. Your actions, whether you wish for it or not, influence how not only outsiders view Hoshido, but also how citizens of Hoshido respect themselves and the royal family. I assume you act in line with specific goals and values, and I assumed your honor is the one value you would hold most dear.”

Ryoma’s lips tightened into a line, frowning slightly before he explained himself.

“I agree with you that my actions influence everyone’s opinion of Hoshido, and thus are heavily scrutinized, but to me, a person’s honor can be described in the most plain of terms as pride and respect for oneself. But what use is pride by itself? How could I have pride without a cause or reason for it? That is why my family is the thing I treasure most, because the wellbeing and happiness of my siblings, as well as what I think would make my late mother and father happy, helps guide my actions, ensuring I act appropriately.”

Ryoma paused for a moment, ensuring he wasn’t boring Kagero, before continuing.

“In Saizo’s case, I admire his strong sense of duty, but if he only serves based on the honor of the position, that could lead to problems if he isn’t careful.”

“What do you mean milord?”

“Well... For example, if Saizo’s honor is only based on serving me, then if for example, my values over time changed, I might start making decisions that are not very good, and eventually, Saizo might be acting on orders that are cruel and unfair. Where is the honor in serving a corrupt leader? That is why my family is of most value to me, because they keep my actions true.”

Silence fell over the prince and retainer, a comfortable silence that seemed to hum with understanding as they shared a look.

“I see what you are saying milord," Kagero murmured, breaking the silence first, treating Ryoma with an upward curve of her mouth, not quite a smile, but a rare sight for anyone to see all the same.

Ryoma nodded in response, offering a smile of his own in return. The atmosphere around them suddenly felt more personal, intimate and comfortable. They stood there for a moment more, before Kagero thanked Ryoma for his insight, bowing and bidding him a pleasant night.

Ryoma watched as Kagero walked off, feeling sympathy for her. It was always sad when otherwise healthy romances didn’t work out, particularly the romances of people you were familiar with. He wondered if his answer to her question on family versus honor eased any of her pain, reflecting that it might not have, and may have actually made things worse. If Kagero had been hoping he would have a similar stance on things as Saizo and thus elucidate Saizo’s reasonings and actions more, Ryoma realized that his answer may have just hurt her more. 

Though his other retainer seemed to be fine, as Kagero’s form disappeared into the night, Ryoma sensed that the dissolution of her romance with Saizo still burdened her heart, and he could only hope that she would find peace in time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This note is a little out of place to be honest, but I know that I said that the hex works on previous relationships/friendships and while true, I left out the part where it’s not only that, but works on existing attraction as well. That’s all I’ll say on that now, but again the spell works on existing (albeit in most cases ignored/repressed) attraction and any previous affection a couple might have for each other.


End file.
